PRIVATE BLESSINGS

Mt 9:18

While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

Mt 9:19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. Mt 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: Mt 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Mt 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Have you noticed that many of the divine, supernatural acts of our Lord were done privately or off to the side rather than in a public way? Our text today is an example of one of those instances. You may find that this is evident in your life. The Lord may get you alone before He begins to work in your life rather than putting it all on display for the world to see.

There is a story about a pastor who was having lunch with several of his parishoners. A lady and her grandson came and sat at a table close to the church group. As the meal progressed the pastor noticed that the ten year old grandson was staring at him intensely. When it became more obvious that the boy was watching the pastor, the grandmother explained that the boy was not trying to be rude but was attracted by the eagle on the pastor’s tie. “My father really likes eagles,” the young man said. Everyone at the pastor’s table smiled.

When the meal was over and everyone from the church began to leave, the pastor lingered behind and walked over to the boy’s table. “So your father likes eagles?” asked the pastor. “Oh, yes,” replied the boy. “Does your father wear ties?” asked the man of God. The grandmother explained that the boy’s father wore ties quite often and admired eagles a great deal.

“What is your name, son?” asked the pastor. “Devin” he said. “Well, Devin, you give this tie to your father,” said the pastor as he slipped it from around his neck, “and promise me you will give him this card.” 

The boy grinned from ear to ear as he accepted the gift and promised he would give his father the tie along the card which had printed upon it the plan of salvation.

Simple acts in private may come to mean more than those done before a throng.

STAYING FRESH IN THE YEAR TO COME

2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Three days already into the new year. Yesterday I preached on the immutability of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the many things I have found to be important in the ministry is to stay fresh. There is no secret formula, just make Jesus Christ your theme! I have seen preachers espouse causes and champion movements, and when the causes die out and the movements collapse, the preachers vanish too. But the man who glories in Jesus Christ never grows stale. Our Lord is perennial and he who makes his boast in Christ stays forever fresh. He shall bring forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, so it says in Psalm 1.

How long it takes us to learn that the issue is simply Jesus! We read books and feel that the magic word is sure to appear on the next page, but it doesn’t. We read biography, but we cannot live on second-hand experience. We try to work up visions and ecstasies of our own, but even if we succeed the glory fades. At last we arrive where we should have started, to learn that once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord. 

It is all Jesus. Why not start at center and work out instead of starting on the circumference and working in? Stand by the Hub and the spokes are yours.